Subtemporally Grounded
by Blue Dragon
Summary: Cassie's been called 'subtemporally grounded', 'anomaly'. It's meant nothing to her. But it's about to take over her existance. The universe is on the line and she knows what she must do... even if it costs her everything she ever wished to save.
1. Part 1

Sub-temporally Grounded  
  
  
**Part 1**  
  
  
  
You know me as Cassie.  
  
Just Cassie.  
  
Nothing else. But so much more. I'm not normal. Even less normal than I always thought. I'm less normal then all the other Animorphs put together. I'm less normal than anything I ever thought was possible, and there aren't a lot of things left to consider impossible.  
  
The Drode said I'm a freak of nature. Crayak said I'm an anomaly. The Ellimist said that I'm special.  
  
I haven't told anyone this. Not my parents. Not any of the Animorphs. Not even Jake. To tell the whole story, I can't tell anyone.  
  
I wish I could tell Jake. I wish I could talk to him again, touch his face, see him smile. I can, but I wonder if I'm strong enough.  
  
It happened a time ago. I'll start at the beginning. That lies in the middle of another battle…  
  
  
  
We were in the woods, trying to make a distraction from where we had hidden the free Hork-Bajir in the hills. There were us, a band of Taxxons, and two or three Blue-Banded Hork-Bajir-Controllers.  
  
We were winning. Which was no surprise, since after Ax, Marco and Rachel took care of the Hork-Bajir, there were only Taxxons left. Taxxons are disgusting, revolting, but they're easy to kill.  
  
Except for when they've got dracons.  
  
I snatched my wolf head around and saw the dracon being aimed. Immediately, I heard Jake's voice in my head.  
  
Concentrate, he snapped from where he stood, close to the side behind me. You get one chance. Attack on three. One… two… three!  
  
I didn't doubt. I never doubted Jake. I flew up towards the Taxxon. His careful aim was wasted! I smacked the dracon to the side with my shoulder and landed on the Taxxon's ugly face, teeth and claws first. But…  
  
Tseeew.  
  
  
* * *  
Cassie reached out, gently, carefully, to touch one of the white lines flowing around her. It curved, twisted, and then spun tightly around itself and grew brighter. Cassie smiled - if anything she could do was a smile. It was more of a warm awareness that would have been a smile for a normal person. Then she looked down.  
  
At one of the six golden lines shooting forwards through time.  
  
She was the line. She could feel it; it was her. The golden thread looked so slender, so easy to break. She felt that the slightest touch would make it collapse. The thought made her shiver, but she had no arms to wrap around herself.  
  
She stretched out - the line stretched out - to her side. There was another line; a strong line. It shone brighter than any other, growing stronger and stronger as it expanded. Growing brighter, more beautiful, shining even more as she neared it.  
  
Peace. She felt peace. Calmness. Maybe even happiness.  
  
Suddenly the brighter line fell away. It withered and faded, curled up onto itself and ended.   
  
She screamed, but no sound came.  
* * *  
  
  
Cassie!  
  
I twisted. My legs kicked, and my head jerked upwards.  
  
Cassie!  
  
"YES. CASSIE."  
  
At the new voice, I yelped and flew up to my feet. My head spun from the sudden movement. I felt sick.  
  
Who - what?! I cried.  
  
Jake hushed harshly at me. Ax's stalk-eyes darted back and forth to locate any possible enemies before they found us.  
  
You okay? Rachel said.  
  
I looked around. No-one was there except for us. Jake, Rachel, Ax, Marco, and me. Tobias was flying overhead, looking down at us all. The Taxxons were dead, or as good as. A few were busy eating… themselves or others.  
  
The strange, booming voice laughed. "THEY CANNOT HEAR ME. ONLY YOU CAN HEAR ME."  
  
I'm… fine, I said. What happened?  
  
You smacked a Taxxon's dracon and the beam nearly hit Jake. Rachel looked weirdly at me. Then you collapsed.  
  
Something felt wrong. I could feel it. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong!  
  
"VERY GOOD. VERY GOOD INDEED. YOU HAVE POTENTIALS, HUMAN. HIGH POTENTIALS."   
  
Something was wrong.  
  
But what?  
  
The voice laughed again, this time evilly. "THINK, CASSIE THE ANIMORPH. THINK, AND THE ANSWER WILL BE YOURS."  
  
Is it normal for wolves to just collapse? Ax asked. I was under the impression that they are quite robust. Sturdy.  
  
No, Marco snapped. Scream and they'll all faint.  
  
I ignored them. They seemed distant. Unfamiliar, yet familiar. Like finding your math teacher in your kitchen. You know your teacher, of course, but what's she doing in your kitchen?  
  
Silly. Where would they be, if not with me? Where would I be, if not with them? We were a team. We were an army. We kept together; we followed a leader.  
  
Jake. But Jake seemed the most distant. The most unfamiliar. The most… faded.  
  
And yet he was right there; solid, real.   
  
Who are you? I thought.  
  
"THAT DOES NOT MATTER. MY IDENTITY WILL BE REVEALED IF NEED BE."  
  
We need to move, Jake said. His tiger muzzle puffed gently at my side. He felt real enough.  
  
Yeah, I said, far into my own thoughts. I guess.  
  
  
  
We left the place and returned to our hiding place in the hills, far away from the detected Hork-Bajir valley. Marco and Rachel took up guard for the night, together with a team of Hork-Bajir, among them Toby, while Tobias flew down to his meadow to catch dinner and make sure no hawks were intruding.  
  
Tobias is very fond of his meadow.  
  
I sat down next to the little fire we had lit. My parents were sleeping, and from what I knew, so were the other parents, and Champ. They were all going through a tough time. They were exhausted, and needed their rest.  
  
But I needed to talk to someone. I needed someone to assure me things were okay.  
  
"WISHES DO NOT COME TRUE JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE SPOKEN."  
  
I sat still. And again thought my question.  
  
Who are you?  
  
"CASSIE. WHY ASK ME? YOU KNOW THE ANSWER. LOOK INSIDE YOURSELF. FIND WHO I AM. YOU MAY NOT LIKE IT, BUT SEARCH, IF YOU WISH TO."  
  
I felt like doing as the voice said. I closed my eyes, and let my thoughts float free. My mind emptied. It all came so natural that it was scary.  
  
  
  
* * *  
The golden line that was Cassie floated on through time and possibly space. It was hard to tell. She looked down at it, making sure it was still there, still flowing gently as it should, and was pleased to find that it was.  
  
But where there had been six lines, there were five.  
  
No… she saw the sixth. Still there. If she squinted with her… not eyes, something else, a consciousness… she could feel it's presence. But it was very weak. And something helped keep it up. Something that shouldn't be there. Something which intruded.  
  
Then Cassie felt another thing. A thing nudging at her. Yes; that was the word. Something compelling her to search. She expanded her existence and sensed new things, wonderful and horrible, all around her.  
  
There it was. A feeling… the feeling of laughter. Not the sound. Cassie knew it wasn't a sound. It was… the feeling of a sound. The feeling of a booming laughter, which she knew.  
  
The voice.  
  
She whimpered and shrank together.  
* * *  
  
  
Fear shook me out of my… other existence. At once I felt ill again. Maybe there was some connection. I felt as if my limps were weighed down by elephants. My fingers felt as if I was wearing really thick gloves. I concentrated and the feeling disappeared.  
  
Crayak, I thought.  
  
"YES."  
  
What are you doing here?  
  
"I AM… YOUR GUIDE. I AM HERE TO AID YOU THROUGH THIS."  
  
Crayak, I knew, didn't "aid". He destroyed, and ravaged, and killed. He was evil. He was an enemy. Even more of an enemy than any Yeerk.  
  
Go away, I ordered harshly. Leave me alone! Leave us alone!  
  
"AS YOU WISH. BUT, CASSIE THE ANOMALY. CASSIE THE INTERLOPER… IF YOU EVER NEED HELP, YOU MUST CALL ME. CALL ME, AND I SHALL HELP YOU."  
  
"Go away!" I shrieked. "Leave me alone!"  
  
Jake jumped a step backwards. He raised his hands in defense. "Okay," he said, sounding surprised. "I'm going, I'm going."  
  
He turned and walked away. I did nothing to stop it. Crayak's laugh boomed in my head. I still felt strangely nauseous. But it became more distant, bit by bit, as Jake disappeared into the shadows.  
  
I lay down and tried to sleep. My gaze lost itself in the flames of the fire.  
  
  
  
The Yeerks found us again in the morning.  
  
I was warned when an osprey blew down, flaring its wings and landing next to me.  
  
Yeerks! Marco's voice warned. Jake says you find the grown-ups. And lead them outta here! The rest of us will try to delay the slugs. Come back when you're done! We might need help!  
  
Jake was trying to keep me out of the worst. Maybe he was worried for the day before. I had been a little out. Maybe he was right.  
  
Good luck! Marco said as he lifted again and flapped away.  
  
I was immediately awake. I was awake, and knew what to do. I rushed up, towards the nearest tree. The Hork-Bajir leaped nimbly out of my way as I climbed - much slower than they, despite a lot of practice - up to the first, newly but hastily built, platform.  
  
"Yeerks!" I shouted as I reached it. "Move! We're leaving."  
  
The Hork-Bajir stormed into action. They hurried to their places; defenses or wherever they were needed. A few of the older and all the youngsters started down the trees' stems and set of out of our hiding place. The wounded from the battle earlier were carried.  
  
I grabbed a passing Hork-Bajir's wrist and asked; "Where are the humans?"  
  
The Hork-Bajir flicked his tail. "You slow climb. I carry."  
  
Before I could object, he had lifted me up on his back and I had to clung on as he leapt from the platform to another. As he landed, the half-finished platform creaked threateningly. He ignored it, scrambled higher up into the tree and fearlessly threw himself across a gap of at least ten meters.   
  
I know the feeling. I've been Hork-Bajir. It's exhilarating! It's almost like flying. But being a human girl clinging to the back of a "climbing" Hork-Bajir isn't at all exhilarating. It's frightening. Especially when you almost loose your grip and fall.  
  
"Humans here," the Hork-Bajir said and landed on another - also not finished - platform. "Kel Imeko must go."  
  
He leapt off of the platform, grabbed a branch and swung himself down to the ground. Just watching made my stomach twist.  
  
"Cassie!" a voice called. My mom. "What's going on?"  
  
I saw that they were all there. Our parents, except Jake's parents, and Rachel's two sisters. They were all involved now. No use trying to hide it; they were in this as deep as we were.  
  
"Yeerks," I said, trying to catch my breath. "Grab your things. We're leaving."  
  
I led them and the young, old and wounded Hork-Bajir - together with four well-built warriors that might have been Blue-Bands before they were saved - out of our camp. We had stayed there long enough to start building platforms and shelters in the trees. Now we needed to leave it.  
  
I morphed the horse and let the humans in the group take turns riding on my back. They couldn't keep up very well with the Hork-Bajir, but I could as a horse. Although only my own parents seemed to know how to sit on a horse without falling off four times a minute, or bumping up and down.  
  
I carried two or three riders for every shift, and stopped every five minutes or so to take another. Sara and Jordan counted as one person together, so at some points I carried four riders. The weight wasn't the worst with that; it was the way they sat.  
  
We fled for an hour or so. Then I gave the Hork-Bajir orders to continue for another hour and find a place to hide.  
  
Quickly, I demorphed and told the humans to follow the Hork-Bajir.  
  
My dad grabbed my arm. "And where are you going, Cassie?"  
  
"Back to the others," I said. "they might need help with the Yeerks."  
  
"It's dangerous back there," my dad said. "you're doing no such thing!"  
  
I pulled my arm loose. "I'm not a little girl any more," I snapped. "you don't have to like it, dad, but fighting Yeerks is what I do. It's what I will do."  
  
I gave my mom a hug and hoped silently I'd see her again. She kissed my cheek and nodded, understanding if not accepting.  
  
Then I morphed the osprey, and saluted them with my wings as I rose to the skies. I didn't turn back, but I knew my dad was watching me.  
  
  
  
I found the battle still raging near the camp. My friends had been pushed back far, but they hadn't given up. Hork-Bajir on our side were using the long spears - pikes, I think they're called - that one of the parents had suggested. They could easily stab enemies before they came into range for blades.   
  
Jake was in tiger morph, now with only three legs, but still he was successfully keeping the Taxxons back. Ax was among the free Hork-Bajir without pikes, now and then suddenly darting up and cutting large chunks out of the flanks of the Yeerks. Rachel was ravaging around, bleeding but fighting like a berserk. Marco was close by, keeping her back clear - and keeping an eye on her. Tobias was diving to rip and tear, as well as to steal dracon beams and give to the free Hork-Bajir.  
  
The air was filled with dracon from both sides.  
  
Visser One wasn't around. Maybe he left this to his troops, or maybe he been there briefly but decided to be somewhere else.  
  
Cassie! a voice called. Tobias. That's you, right?  
  
Yeah. What can I do?  
  
Help me steal dracons. They're kinda heavy, so get lots of speed and make sure you're aimed properly to swoop to the good side.  
  
Sure. How's it going?  
  
They're all low on morph-time, and we aren't winning yet. It's not looking good, Cassie. It's not good at all.  
  
I called down to Jake. Jake. What's happening?  
  
We're all about to get stuck in morph and the Hork-Bajir are being slaughtered on both sides.  
  
Tobias told me that much. Anything else?  
  
Yeah. It's good that you came. We need serious backup. Though I think it's about time to haul butt.  
  
They'd follow us, Tobias remarked.  
  
I know. But then we could chop them down one at a time when they come too close.  
  
Maybe, I agreed. But the dracons…  
  
Be glad they didn't bring bug-fighters. Jake glanced up at me with his tiger face before continuing to fight the Taxxons.  
  
I began a dive and aimed carefully at a dracon in the hand of a Hork-Bajir. I folded my wings, and plummeted downwards…  
  
Flared my wings, secured the dracon in my talons…  
  
Momentum swooped me away! The Hork-Bajir let out a cry of surprise. He snatched after me with both hands. But I was outta there!  
  
I flapped wildly to stay airborne with the load. Over the heads of Taxxons and Hork-Bajir-Controllers. Towards the free Hork-Bajir.  
  
"Tseeeeer!" I cried and dropped the dracon.  
  
A Hork-Bajir caught it, and waved a gigantic hand thankfully.  
  
I flapped, caught a wind, and rose upwards.  
  
Good one, Tobias congratulated. He swooped down.  
  
I looked over the scene. The Taxxons around Jake were getting too numerous for me to feel safe about it. I decided to do something about it.  
  
I folded my wings, aimed, and dove. The ground was rushing up at me.  
  
"NO. NOT NOW."  
  
  
  
* * *  
Cassie was aware of a gigantic, hostile presence. Not far from her, it floated through space, coming towards her quickly. She tried to pull away. She was afraid. Very afraid.  
  
But something held her. Something pulled her back. She couldn't pull away! She was trapped!  
  
Suddenly, she knew what held her. The golden line. Her golden line! She couldn't leave it. She could, but that would break it. If it broke, she'd… simply cease to exist.  
  
The presence closed in. Wrapped around her. Strangled her, closed her in, locked her tightly in it's grip.  
  
Cassie wailed in terror. But terror was just a feeling. Just an awareness. There was something stronger… something…  
* * *  
  
  
  
"Cass! Oh, god, wake up! Wake up!"  
  
I was feeling like I had a high fever. My head was spinning, and I felt like I would to throw up any second. I was dimly aware of something holding me. A large, looming shadow held me trapped - gently.  
  
"Wake up!" a voice wept. "Don't.. don't die…"  
  
I opened my osprey eyes. Jake was clutching me in his arms, running, crying, wailing; all at the same time.  
  
Rachel was next to him, a looming, quickly demorphing half-bear stumbling forwards. Tobias flew above. Marco was knuckle-running by Jake's side, also demorphing. Ax ran in front, Hork-Bajir with and without pikes and with and without dracons were everywhere around.  
  
They'll hear you, Rachel hissed. Shut up, Jake! Shut up!  
  
Jake drew his breath and glanced down at me. I ruffled a wing to show that I was alive, if nothing else.  
  
See? Marco said. She'll be fine.  
  
Jake hugged me so tightly that my ribs almost snapped. But then Rachel held out her arms and took me over. Jake began morphing.  
  
Things felt wrong again. Very wrong. People around me felt unreal.  
  
"The Yeerks are chasing us," she explained. "We all need to morph before they get here. Are you okay?"  
  
I… think so.  
  
"Can you morph?" she asked.  
  
Yeah.  
  
"Good. Demorph and morph wolf."  
  
I started demorphing. But…  
  
You're not morphing, Cassie, Jake said sternly, his voice a little shaky. You're flying back to the camp. Tobias, go with her. Then come back here.  
  
What? But… I…  
  
But Jake had recalled some of his leader-role once he realized I wasn't dead. Enough to start ordering me around. That's twice, Cassie. You've collapsed twice! This time you almost died at it, too. I'm keeping you out of the fight until you're better.  
  
I'm fine!  
  
"I'm not risking it," Jake said, almost snarling, determined to get his way. "I'm not risking you if it means I need to face the entire Yeerk fleet alone."  
  
I felt stunned. There was so much feeling in those words. I had a reply ready, but it never came out. I stayed silent. My heart felt like it was melting.  
  
"Jake's right," Rachel said suddenly. And then she threw me into the air and I had to flap not to fall straight to the ground. "Go with Tobias. Go with Tobias NOW!"  
  
I flapped upwards, towards Tobias. Jake knew best, surely. Rachel was probably right. And Tobias was looking at me as if I might fall out of the sky any moment.  
  
Follow me, he said. Then hesitated. Ehm… where did you take the refugees?  
  
I flew of towards the camp. My mind was heavy. Tired.  
  
Surely, Jake would realize I wasn't sick. I mean, I collapsed, I felt nauseaus afterwards, but… it was only temporary. Right? He couldn't take me out of the fight. He couldn't. Not when every single soldier was needed desperately. Could he?  
  
"YES," Crayak laughed in the back of my head. "HE CAN, CASSIE THE IRREGULARITY. CASSIE THE SOFTHEARTED WARRIOR. HE CAN. AND HE WILL."  
  
  
  
  
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  
Author's Note;  
  
I'm only continuing this if you readers want me to. Personally, I think this idea is very interesting. It's got possibilities. And I know exactly what to do with it.  



	2. Part 2

Sub-temporally Grounded  
  
  
**Part 2**  
  
  
  
Normally I wouldn't mind being out of the fight. I'm not like Rachel; I'm not a person who goes berserk and fights, enjoys every moment of it. Although I'm sure even Rachel sometimes feels it is too much.  
  
But it bothered me. It bothered me because I didn't understand. I understood that Jake was worried about me, that he wanted me safe. I understood that he couldn't risk me collapsing again. It didn't only endanger myself; it endangered the whole group.  
  
But I didn't understand why I was collapsing. I didn't understand where I was, all of a sudden, or who I was; somewhere else. Someone else that was me, but still not me. A form of me, but not physically. Not mentally, either. Maybe spiritually, maybe not. I couldn't tell.  
  
I was confused. Crayak had told me to call for him if I needed to. But… call for Crayak? No. It went against everything in my mind. Every single instinct and insight in my head slammed down on the brakes as soon as I even thought about it.  
  
I decided to talk to Jake. And if need, I'd call for the Ellimist. If Crayak knew about this, then so should the Ellimist. And I trusted him - at least more than I trusted Crayak.  
  
Jake wasn't hard to find. He sat by a fire, alone. I came and sat down next to him.  
  
"You've got any confessions to make?" he wondered.  
  
"About what?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe about you being ill or something. What's up, Cass? Why do you… collapse?"  
  
I shook my head. "I don't know."  
  
"You scared me," he said quietly. "You scared me bad. You just fell… straight down. My heart almost stopped. I thought you were dead. I thought I'd lost you."  
  
"I know," I said. Only then did I realize that I didn't know what to say to him. How to tell him. What to tell him. I didn't understand any of it, so how could I make him understand it?  
  
"I talked to your mom," he continued.  
  
"And?"  
  
"She said it might be stress. Fear. Anything, actually. I should let you take a break."  
  
"You can't afford that," I said. "We're too few anyway. One less might make us lose." But I knew he was right. If I wasn't up for it, I shouldn't take part in any of the "action".  
  
"I know. But I'm not taking any chances." He sighed, stared into the fire. "Is there anything you wanted to tell me?"  
  
"Yeah," I said. I looked for words. And blurted out; "Crayak talked to me."  
  
Jake spun his head towards me. He was thinking quickly. His eyes were searching, calculating. Calculating as coldly as any general ever had in any war. "Crayak?"  
  
"Crayak," I confirmed.  
  
"He's got anything to do with you collapsing?"  
  
The question felt uncomfortable. I felt a foreshadowing shiver. "Maybe."  
  
Jake's fists tightened. "If he has, I swear I'll…"  
  
"I don't know, okay?" I snapped. "I collapse. I'm somewhere… somewhere… weird. Another reality. I'm myself, but not. Another existence of me. Then I wake up. I'm back in this reality. I feel sick. I feel something's wrong. And Crayak tells me I'm correct."  
  
"What other reality?"  
  
"I don't know," I said. "Look, I don't understand it, so I can't explain it. Crayak told me he could explain. He told me he'd help me."  
  
"Don't trust him," Jake growled.  
  
"I don't," I assured him. "I don't trust him at all."  
  
"Has he tried to tell you to do something? Manipulate you, or anything?"  
  
I peered at him. He looked worried. "You mean like with Rachel? No. He said he was my guide. Whatever he meant by that."  
  
"If he talks to you again, tell me," Jake ordered. Then his voice softened. He took my hand and squeezed it gently. "Promise."  
  
I kissed him and promised him I would. But I didn't think I'd keep that promise. It didn't feel good to talk to Jake about this. It felt strange. Weird. Simply wrong.  
  
I lay down and must have fallen asleep. The next thing I know, it's morning. Jake had left. Rachel told me he was out flying. Spying for Yeerks.  
  
I think there was another reason.  
  
  
  
"CASSIE."  
  
The voice made me look up suddenly from my food. But I realized who it was and continued eating calmly. Jake was sitting nearby. I didn't want him to get suspicious. He had been watching me like a hawk for the latest week. He'd had the others following me around. I hadn't been alone since our last conversation, the mentioned week ago.  
  
Yes, Crayak? I thought. I know you are there. Go away.  
  
The voice laughed. "YES, CASSIE. I SHALL GO. AND YOU SHALL COME WITH ME."  
  
And something tugged at me. It was too strong for me to resist it.  
  
  
* * *  
Cassie knew where she was this time. She was back where she usually was. She had a vague feeling that the other her was immobile. She had a vague memory of that being bad.  
  
That shadow that had captured her the last time was still there. Still holding her securely. There was no pain, not for existences as herself, but she felt trapped, which was uncomfortable.  
  
But she felt at home. Things felt right for the first time in a long time.  
  
The golden line under her was brighter then ever. The line that was her still held her firmly, but the connection was weaker then before. Much weaker. She didn't dare move, fearing it would break. Fearing what would happen if it did.  
  
"Cassie," a voice said.  
  
"Crayak," she replied, tugging at a strand of space-time to give herself a voice.  
  
"You know why you are here?"  
  
"No."  
  
"You know where you are?"  
  
"Yes." And she found that she knew. She really was home. In a very strange sense of the word.  
  
"You must take over," said Crayak. The shadow around her let her go, shifted, shrank together and took the shape of Crayak. A magnificent throne appeared under him. His red eye watched her.  
  
Cassie wasn't afraid now. She commanded herself to take a form as well; that of a wolf. She felt safe as a wolf, even though it was only an illusion and there was no such thing as eyes to see it with. But the wolf that was Cassie sat down on its haunches and met Crayak's gaze calmly.  
  
"You learn," he commented.  
  
"Do I have any choice?"  
  
Crayak laughed his laughter, which was more of a feeling then a sound. The same feeling as a shiver down your spine. "No."  
  
"You said I must take over. Take over after whom?"  
  
"After the Ellimist."  
  
And as Crayak laughed again Cassie felt how she was pushed away, into the golden line she still was attached to.  
* * *  
  
  
Several sets of eyes stared down at me as I opened my eyes. I didn't feel sick this time.  
  
Jake sighed with relief and pulled me up until I sat, leaning against a tree.  
  
My mom looked worried. She checked my pulse, asked me if I'd been eating properly. I didn't hear much of what she said because my dad was talking loudly at the same time, and all five of the other Animorphs were asking questions.  
  
I was tired. My mind was spinning. I wanted to be left alone. I wanted to think.  
  
And I wanted to forget everything I had ever known about Crayak and the Ellimist.  
  
Take over? After the Ellimist? Made no sense.  
  
First of all, if the Ellimist wasn't defeated, he wouldn't be gone. He wouldn't need replacing. And if the Ellimist defeated, why would Crayak want me to take over? He would only be happy to get rid of the Ellimist. He wouldn't want anyone taking over after him.  
  
Or was it all some type of trick, to hurt Jake? Some type of ultimatum, using me as a hostage? I spent the most time thinking about that one. It was the most logical. And it was just the type of nasty, heartless trick Crayak would use.  
  
Except for one thing. Then he'd be talking to Jake, not to me. That was the detail that made me give up the idea.  
  
Later that day Jake spoke to me again.  
  
"It was Crayak, wasn't it?" he hissed. "Crayak talked to you."  
  
I lied to him. I told him Crayak hadn't talked to me.  
  
Jake looked pained. He knew I was lying. He was hurt by it. I was hurt by it. But I had no choice. I knew I needed to figure this out myself.  
  
I knew I needed to figure this out, or I'd die trying.  
  
  
  
The Yeerks didn't find us for almost a whole month. We were getting worried by the time we had to fight and flee the next time. Jake kept me out of it. He treated me like I was made of glass.  
  
But I hadn't collapse again. I had heard nothing from Crayak.  
  
But Jake was still guarding me every awake second. He was completely convinced that there was something wrong with me.  
  
So was my mother. She complained that I was loosing weight. I was, too. I had never been skinny before, but now I was. I wasn't eating properly because I was worried. I was distant, zoning out from time to time.  
  
The worst part was the dreams. I'd be sleeping, dreaming, and then I was pulled into that other existence. Usually, shock snapped me out of it and I was awake, sweating despite the cold of the night and needing to throw up. The worst times, I woke with a fever and did throw up. I would shiver and wouldn't be able to fall asleep for hours.   
  
But I kept it a secret. They were worried enough anyway.  
  
Then came the day when Jake finally admitted that, yeah, I was in good shape. I was allowed to walk around by myself again. I was allowed to morph without supervision. I was allowed to stand guard.  
  
It was good to have something to do again. Even if standing - or sitting - guard wasn't the most exiting job in the world, it was something. It kept my mind busy.  
  
I was an osprey, sitting dutifully on the comfy branch in a tree. I was out of both earshot and thought-speech range and sight from camp. I as enjoying the loneliness, the silence. And keeping an eye out for Yeerks, of course.  
  
In fact, I kept such a good eye out for the Yeerks that I neglected to watch my own talons.  
  
You'll see what I mean.  
  
Suddenly, on a branch in front of me, stood the Drode.  
  
He grinned at me. "Great Crayak misses your delightful company, Cassie the adapter," he said with a mocking bow.  
  
Then tell him he better get used to it, I snapped. And go away! If any of the others saw the Drode with me, they'd tell Jake. And Jake would probably get himself into trouble with Crayak. Without the Ellimist around to keep Crayak in check… I almost shuddered. Despite being an osprey.  
  
The Drode grinned even broader, tapping his fingers against each other and keeping his eyes aimed at nothing special. "Oh, I don't think so."  
  
What? I said. My talons tightened their hold on the branch. Is he going to drag me over there again?  
  
"You're a freak of nature, Cassie," the Drode spat. "But a very powerful one. If you learn, if you let yourself be taught, no-one will ever drag you anywhere."  
  
I ignored him and went back to scanning the area. If Crayak wasn't dragging me across to that other reality, I was happy.  
  
The Drode, though, laughed scornfully. "So naïve. Did you think I came here for my own amusement? No. This will be a test for you, Cassie. Cassie the Ellimist's champion."  
  
I felt a shiver. Something touched the feathers on my back, but I didn't turn to see what it was. Test?  
  
"Yes," the Drode confirmed happily. "A test. Look at your talons."  
  
I did. Or tried to. Tried, because I couldn't see my talons any more. Or my legs. Or anything up to my feathery chest and shoulders, for that matter.  
  
I was wrapped up in bark, branches and twigs, like a gift in paper. I had just enough room to breathe, but otherwise I couldn't move. And the branches holding me were growing, spiraling around me like a snake, getting thicker and thicker, making me as helpless as a bug trapped in resin.  
  
"You have about twenty-seven minutes left in morph, right?" the Drode gloated. "Too bad. Because as you see, you're stuck. And if you try to demorph, you'll crush yourself to death." He rubbed his hands together, pleased with the whole thing.  
  
Let me go! I demanded.  
  
"Oh, and one more thing," the Drode said, pointing upwards. There was a golden eagle. "See him? He's looking for a meal. And you're a sitting duck. Well, a sitting osprey."  
  
What am I supposed to do? I wondered. I was frightened, naturally. What else?  
  
"Remove the branches," the Drode said as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "Remove them and be free. Remove them, Cassie of the golden string, and demorph, and be alive."  
  
He leaned in closer. "Remove them, Cassie, and your friends will not find an osprey with a ripped and eaten face. Will not find you, dead, wrapped in branches which could not possibly have been there."  
  
I glared at him with my osprey eyes. It didn't give much of an effect, because ospreys don't have many expressions except glaring, and a being working for Crayak must be used to it anyhow.  
  
The Drode smiled. "Can you guess what Jake'll think of it?" he said. "Can you guess who he'll blame?"  
  
I glanced up at the eagle, soaring above, watching me. I wasn't sure if I really was a tasty meal, or if the Drode had a finger in his appetite, but that wasn't my main problem.  
  
How?  
  
The Drode just bowed mockingly again. "Good luck, little interloper. Good luck and goodbye."  
  
He disappeared.  
  
I fought down the panic and tried to think. The eagle kept circling. My minutes in morph-time kept ticking away. I tried calling for help, but no-one heard me. No-one was close enough.  
  
The Drode would make sure no-one came close enough, also.  
  
But, when I had about five minutes left, I remembered something the Drode had said. I had ignored it at the time, but now it was shining in my mind like the sun in the sky.  
  
Cassie of the golden string, I repeated to myself. It wasn't just another of the Drode's standard phrases. It was a clue.  
  
I needed to get to the world of golden strings. I needed to get across to that other reality, the other existence.  
  
But how? How how how?  
  
Okay, logical thinking. Quickly. I knew I was able to - or at least had been able to - go there at call, at wish. Right?  
  
Well, I didn't have many alternatives. So I took that for granted.  
  
How had I made it work the last time? What trick had I used? Any specialties? Had I been helped the last time, and needed to do it myself this time? No, the Drode would have told me. He and Crayak might try to kill me outright, but they wouldn't give me an impossible assignment.  
  
I hoped.  
  
I had nothing to lose. I shut my osprey eyes and concentrated hard.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
I tried it again, and still nothing happened. By the third try, I was starting to panic. I had barely seconds left in morph, if even that.  
  
But then came the thought that saved me. Where was I going, really? Nowhere. To what? To nothing. Because that's what the place was. It was nothing, and thereby everything. Nowhere, and thereby everywhere. A few pieces of the puzzle fell into place.  
  
I emptied my mind. Cleared my thoughts. And the world faded…  
  
  
* * *  
Cassie found herself again in the shape of the wolf. The golden string pulsed on through space-time beneath her. The connection to it was very weak, but she was too relieved to worry about that. She had succeeded.  
  
But it was not the time to be joyful. Her body was still down on Earth, mere seconds away from being trapped as an osprey and about to become eagle dinner.  
  
Cassie felt around with those special, strange senses that came with being in that place. She found a piece of… something… something that caught her attention… that felt different. It somehow reminded her of… eternity.  
  
Time. She had found the silver string of eternal time. It cleared to her instantly, and she reached out with a wolf paw to touch it.  
  
With that simple touch she stopped time's flow. All around her, things froze. Stopped. The golden strings stopped floating along, freezing and almost trembling in place, eager to set into motion again. But they wouldn't; not until she let them.  
  
The thought almost made her smile, but the smile didn't reach the shape she had chosen. She still had work to do.  
  
Now she had time to find the tree's string and adapt it. Only thing was that now, she didn't have to worry about time.  
  
Suddenly there was a sense of coldness. Crayak appeared in front of Cassie. He looked… felt… mad. Space-time strands were shaking with his fury.  
  
"You can't do that!" he cried.  
  
Cassie sat down on her haunches. She leaned her head to the side. "And why not?"  
  
"YOU CAN'T!" Crayak roared. "It is… it is impossible!"  
  
Cassie smiled a wolf smile, loping her tongue out. The days of fearing Crayak were gone; she found, to her surprise, that he didn't scare her.  
  
Crayak gathered himself and calmed down again. More or less. "Ellimist!" he called.  
  
An old bluish man appeared next to Cassie. He placed a hand on her head, stroking her wolf ears, and smiling proudly down at her.  
  
So. The Ellimist wasn't gone, as she had thought. Cassie felt thankful about that.  
  
"Yes, Crayak?" he said, still smiling down at Cassie.  
  
"You lied to me, Ellimist," Crayak spat.  
  
"No," the Ellimist said. "I didn't lie to you. I just hid the truth."  
  
"We had an agreement!"  
  
"Yes. And did I break it?"  
  
Crayak steamed with anger and with contempt for the Ellimist. But it was clear that whatever agreement the two had had, the Ellimist hadn't broken it. Not directly.  
  
"Go back to your game, Crayak," the Ellimist said. "I shall take care of the girl for now - and what remains of your test."  
  
"That… girl… she's worse than just an anomaly! She shouldn't have been able to do that!"  
  
"No, she shouldn't have," the Ellimist replied smugly.  
  
"Do not lie to me, old cheat! You knew."  
  
"Can you prove I did?" the Ellimist smiled. "Be proud of your student, Crayak. She seems to be worth top scores."  
  
Crayak hissed angrily and disappeared.  
  
The Ellimist smiled even broader.  
  
"Don't disappear on me yet," Cassie warned. "You owe me an explanation. And I demand I get it now. What's happening to me?"  
  
"You're discovering your… talents," Ellimist said. He grinned. "And Crayak is doing a very good job teaching you for me."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Why, child?" the Ellimist said. "Why? Does anyone ever know why? I will tell you this. Crayak and I decided to let me take a… disciple. A helper, so to speak. Someone to stand on my side, as the Drode stands on Crayak's. The only condition, Cassie, is that the Crayak will teach you."  
  
"Why chose a helper?" Cassie asked. "What do you need me for?"  
  
The Ellimist blinked. He glanced both ways and took on a conspiratorial smile. "To defeat Crayak, of course. I need to defeat Crayak." Before Cassie replied, he clapped his hands together. "Now then. You're back in your human body, and the tree has released you. Good luck, child."  
  
And Cassie was gently pushed away.  
* * *  
  
  
I was back on my branch. I wasn't feeling ill, or even nauseous. I climbed easily down from the tree, not managing to stop myself from laughing up at the eagle for a few moments.  
  
"Don't be so happy," a voice warned, growling.  
  
I turned around. "Drode."  
  
He bared his sharp teeth at me and glared, hate in his eyes. "You got away this time," he said. "But don't worry. We'll get you, sooner or later. We'll get you, and then we'll get Jake, and then this planet will finally be destroyed by the Yeerks, as it ought to be!"  
  
I ignored the Drode's threat. He looked more like a pesky fly than anything else. "I'm not afraid of you any longer."  
  
His eyes narrowed. "Maybe not."  
  
"You just lost a weapon, Drode. Fear is a great power."  
  
The Drode spat at me. I did nothing. Not outwardly, at least. But the Drode was getting on my nerves.  
  
My mind focused on the Drode. On that other reality. And I attached a thread between the two. Like a rubber band. And let go of it. The Drode disappeared with a cry of anger and surprise, as if he'd been pulled through a really small hole.  
  
"And don't come back!" I roared, almost laughing with relief, very pleased with myself.  
  
I turned around, heading back for camp. I had almost started walking when I saw Marco, standing meters away, watching me.  
  
I stopped. Bit my lip. Then took on a smile. "Your turn to keep watch, huh?"  
  
Marco nodded. I smiled again, and started walking. Just as I was about to pass him, he said; "So. What's up with the Drode?"  
  
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  
Author's Note;  
  
Next part soon. Hopefully.  



	3. Part 3

Sub-temporally Grounded  
  
  
**Part 3**  
  
  
  
I stopped again, as if someone had slapped me. I swallowed hard. "You saw him?"  
  
"Yes," Marco snapped. "And I want to know what he's doing here."  
  
"Don't tell Jake," I begged.  
  
"You know, I really should."  
  
"Don't." I turned to face him. "Please. Don't tell Jake."  
  
Marco looked suspicious. "You're keeping secrets, Cassie. I don't like it."  
  
"For Jake's sake," I said quickly, trying to find some way to convince him. "If he knew the Drode had been here… maybe he'd do something careless and get himself into trouble. Please, please, please don't tell Jake."  
  
Marco seemed to think about what I'd just said. He was watching me as if he was a judge, about to decide if I was a mad killer or someone just in the wrong place at the wrong time.  
  
"Okay," he said finally.  
  
Relief washed over me. "Promise."  
  
"I won't promise anything," Marco snapped. "I'll judge my own calls here. I'll keep quiet for now. After that, we'll see."  
  
He started morphing the owl. It was getting dark, and the owl would be of more use than the osprey. As he lifted his wings and flapped up to the branch, he said; I'm keeping an eye on you, Cassie.  
  
  
  
The next few days passed without anything happened. The Yeerks didn't find us again. Marco kept both eyes open, but the Drode didn't appear again, and neither did Crayak. When I 'felt' for them with my mind, I couldn't find the small, easily-hidden Drode, but the very obvious Crayak seemed to be sulking.  
  
That filled me with a certain amount of satisfaction. I had actually caused Crayak to sulk!  
  
I tried to get to the other reality again, to look around, familiarize myself with it, learn the laws and learn how to control it, but couldn't. Something was holding me back.  
  
I was pretty sure what that was.  
  
Jake was calming down again. My parents, too. They were talking about what could have been wrong with me when they thought I wasn't listening, and they kept a close eye on me, but things had definitely improved.  
  
I wasn't having the dream-skips any more. I slept through the nights without being troubled, and life almost returned to normal.  
  
Until hell broke loose.  
  
I don't remember any details. Maybe I'm not supposed to. But before anyone had time to react, much less to morph and organize some sort of defense, Yeerks were everywhere.  
  
In a matter of seconds, the camp was surrounded, overpowered, and Hork-Bajir began rounding up the prisoners.  
  
It was happening too fast, that was my first thought. It was impossible! The Yeerks couldn't have come that close in those numbers without us noticing. They couldn't have come that fast. They couldn't have found us that sudden. It was impossible! Undoable! Illogical!  
  
Unless…  
  
A suspicious burnt down in my mind and created cool order where chaos had ruled.  
  
Crayak.  
  
Of course. This was his way of getting even with me for being too talented to fit his sense of right. This was his way to make me pay for being able to stop time.  
  
I hurried through camp, somehow remaining unnoticed even when I brushed right past a few Hork-Bajir, and pushed two Taxxons out of my way. It was as if they weren't aware that I was there. They looked right through me. Their gazes slipped off me like water. And they didn't even notice when they took a few steps sideways to let me pass.  
  
Crayak didn't aim this at me. He aimed it at my mind. My feelings, my thoughts, my beliefs and fears. And he used my friends as pawns to do it. Big surprise for him; I wasn't intending to play along.  
  
I found Marco and grabbed his arm. My fingers didn't even reach halfway around his arm - he was in gorilla morph. "I need a favour," I said.  
  
Marco pulled loose. He didn't seem to realize that suddenly, the Hork-Bajir were leaving him alone as well. He kept both eyes open for them, as he answered my request with; What's wrong with you, Cassie? Why aren't you morphed? We don't have time for favours. We need to fight. We've gotto get Jake out of Yeerk clutches.  
  
I felt cold. I swallowed, my throat dry, and forced myself to speak; "They got Jake?"  
  
Marco nodded, peering curiously at me with small gorilla eyes. He looked as if I was a ghost. Maybe I looked like one; I felt pale enough.  
  
Hadn't you figured that out? Marco said. He was the first person they grabbed. I thought you'd have morphed long ago and…  
  
I didn't listen any longer than that. "That favour, Marco," I said. "I need you to keep an eye on me."  
  
Why? I've got enough troubles trying to help the prisoners and keeping an eye on myself and trying to find my parents in this pandemonium without having to…  
  
"Shut up!" I barked harshly, and Marco jerked back as if I'd slapped him. He was probably surprised. I didn't use that tone of voice very often - if ever. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down and think clearly again. "Just trust me. I can fix this."  
  
Now we're back to this whole trust-me thing, Cassie, it really…  
  
I sighed. "Just make sure I don't get killed while I'm… gone."  
  
Marco was all questions, starting with: Where are you going?   
  
But I ignored him, sank down against a tree and closed my eyes. I tried to focus on the familiar nothing.  
  
That was hard to do with Marco standing there, screaming at me in thought-speech. You're not serious. You're taking a nap? YOU'RE ACTUALLY TAKING A NAP AT A TIME LIKE THIS??!! And; Okay, that's it. We're officially screwed. Bye bye, Cass. Nice knowing you. Until you lost your sanity, that is.  
  
Then I finally felt the edges of the other reality. And I felt the thing that was stopping me from continuing.  
  
Crayak! I thought. Get out of my way!  
  
"I THINK NOT," he replied, laughing. "STAY THERE, LITTLE ANAMOLY. STAY THERE AND ENJOY THE PERFORMANCE."  
  
I made a clear picture of nothing in my mind, and grabbed at it. It slipped away as Crayak tugged it out of my reach. I grabbed at it again, and felt despair rising as it was again yanked away. I made a final lunge at it, but as I missed again I gave up.  
  
I decided to try something new. I let Crayak keep that first notion of nothing, and in half an instant made another one for myself and stepped into it before Crayak managed to pull it away.  
  
I heard him roar in anger as the world around me disappeared like a picture being erased.  
  
  
  
* * *  
Cassie didn't worry about her shape this time. She didn't worry about calling for the illusion of having wolf appearance.  
  
The first thing she did was to look for Jake's golden line. She almost panicked when she didn't find it, knowing that the only reason it could be missing was that Jake was dead.  
  
Her mind and being stretched out, fingering with those strange senses on the strands of space-time around her, feeling more and more stressed as still she found nothing.  
  
She felt down to her own golden line, plucking lightly at it. The bond that tied her to it was more frail than ever, and again she felt insecure, knowing how important it was for her to keep that bond intact. And beside it… floating as if it was not really there, as if it was just an illusion… Jake's line.  
  
She stretched down for it, let her mind seep into it and suddenly saw the real world - through Jake's eyes.  
  
Hork-Bajir all around. Cassie linked her mind to their auras, and pulled out of Jake's line. She didn't want him to be pulled along in what she was about to do.  
  
She grabbed hold of the Hork-Bajir lines. Searched for the second lines, intertwined with them… the Yeerk lines. When she had found them, she… stopped them.  
  
Yes. Stopped. One second they were continuing, flowing through time and space as usual, and the next second they were not. The Yeerks and their lines were frozen, in space and time, and would remain so until she unfroze them. She untangled the lines from those of the Hork-Bajir, thereby setting them free, hoping none of them were voluntary, and let the Yeerk lines remain frozen.   
  
She knew that the Yeerks would simply not exist in any real form of the word until she unfroze them.  
  
She felt the weird pleasantness of a smile creeping along the edge of her mind, and regretted that she had no shape that could smile.  
  
Without wasting any more time she continued. She grabbed Jake's line, tugged lightly at it, and thereby moved Jake about a hundred meters away, to relative safety. Then she collected all the still-Controllers and their Yeerks that she could find, in and around camp, and did the same thing. But further.  
  
The notion of a few hundred Yeerks suddenly finding themselves kilometers away from where they had been the moment before made her feel a bit smug.  
  
"Anomaly!" a voice roared.  
  
Cassie arranged a voice for herself and melted into her wolf shape. She felt safer like that. "Yes, Crayak?" she replied.  
  
"What do you think you are doing?"  
  
"Learning, teacher," she said, and bared her teeth as the shadowy presence of Crayak came to close for her liking. He stopped and took his own, red-eyed shape.  
  
"Do not defy me, human, or you'll find yourself in a lot of trouble."  
  
"I'm all ready in a lot of trouble," she said. "Don't try to threaten me, Crayak, because I am seriously angry at you. What a cheap trick! Don't you dare endanger my friends again, or I'll…"  
  
She stopped, finding nothing to say. Crayak laughed.  
  
"You will do what?" he asked. "I am still the master here, little freak, and you are just some foolish girl with a tiny gift. Maybe a special one, maybe a rare one, but still just a gift. NOW GET OUT OF MY DOMAINS BEFORE I CRUSH YOU!"  
  
Cassie was violently thrown back into her own line, screaming all the way.  
* * *  
  
  
"AND STAY THERE!"  
  
I flew up to my feet, eyes wide, only to find that my knees buckled and I fell face-first down to the ground.  
  
Marco caught my arm with a yell of surprise and I didn't have to actually hit the ground.  
  
But the world spun around me and I threw up whatever had been in my stomach. I didn't stop throwing up until my stomach was completely empty, and then I sat there, on my knees, half-leaning on Marco and half on my own left arm, trembling with exhaustion.  
  
You okay? Marco asked.  
  
I looked up, the world still spinning and dancing around as if it was a giant rubber ball dropped down a staircase. I could feel that my face was pale, I knew my hands were shaking, and I knew that I was generally not a pretty sight.   
  
I couldn't make my voice work, so I nodded instead.  
  
You sure? he said. You don't look okay.  
  
Then my mom fell down to her knees beside me and started coddling and worrying. Too tired and too weak to do much else, I passed out.  
  
  
  
I woke up again after what must have been hours. The camp was back in some sort of order - and packing up quickly. I woke up lying on a few blankets, a few more over me, and Rachel sitting nearby.  
  
"There you are," she said when my eyes opened. "We got worried for a while back there."  
  
I closed my eyes again.  
  
"What happened?" Rachel continued. "Marco is refusing to open his big mouth for once, and I guess I should be thankful, but Jake isn't. Marco said about five words, which I didn't hear, and Jake's been furious ever since. He's actually scary. At least, Marco is walking around glancing this and that way and jumping straight up into the air anytime anyone says anything."  
  
I opened my eyes again to see that Rachel was grinning. Her eyes shone as she said; "So. Tell me."  
  
I sighed and turned over to my side, my back to her. "Ask Marco," I said. "He's already said too much, it seems."  
  
Rachel sighed dramatically, and I got the feeling she shrugged as well. "He's refusing to say anything."  
  
"Good."  
  
"Good?"  
  
"You heard me."  
  
"Cassie? What's up with you? Come on, it's me, Rachel. You can tell me."  
  
I sat up to face her and felt a wave of nausea as I did so. I pushed it down, or tried to, but had to focus hard to make my eyes work properly again.  
  
"No," I said, putting on hand to my forehead and still trying to look determined. "I can't tell you. Marco knows too much. Can't tell you as well."  
  
She looked grumpy. "Why tell Marco but not me?"  
  
"I didn't tell Marco," I snapped. "He… found out. On his own." I lay back down, turned my back to her again and closed my eyes. "Now if you excuse me, I need to sleep."  
  
I heard her get to her feet, muttering a few really rude words, and walking away.  
  
I don't know if I was happy or sad about it, but the next moment I was asleep.  
  
  
  
"What do you think you're doing?!"  
  
I awoke with a jerk of surprise and found Jake standing in front of me, eyes aflame with anger.  
  
He seemed to take a deep breath in an effort to calm down, but it didn't work very well. "Rachel told me you were awake," he said in a tight voice. "Sorry if I woke you again."  
  
I got the feeling he wasn't in his best mood and decided not to complain. "That's ok."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me about the Drode?" he said.  
  
"What did Marco tell you?" I asked.  
  
"The Drode, Cassie. The ugly prune-thing that serves Crayak. Why didn't you tell me? You promised."  
  
"I couldn't keep that promise," I said in a low voice, and Jake had to focus his ears well to even hear me.  
  
"Why not?" he said, looking a bit hurt. "Why can't you tell me?"  
  
"Because I didn't want you to do something stupid," I said in the same low voice.  
  
He stared at me for a few moments. Then he fell down to his knees next to me and took my hand. "You were worried about me?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"You didn't have to."  
  
"Then don't worry about me, either," I said. I looked down at my hand, feeling his fingers stroke it gently and wishing I could just make him understand. "Don't worry about the Drode. I can handle the Drode."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean he doesn't scare me. I mean he isn't a problem for me." I flashed a brief grin, remembering what I'd done the last time I saw Crayak's ugly creature. "In fact, he tends to keep out of my way these days."  
  
Jake smiled back, even though it was obvious he didn't believe me. He just played along. "How did you manage that?"  
  
"I can't tell you."  
  
Jake got a grave look on his face, letting my hand go and standing up. "Cassie, we're a team. We can't keep secrets from each other. And especially not between the two of us."  
  
"I can't tell you. Can't tell anyone."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because."  
  
"That didn't really help that much, Cassie," Jake said, eyeing me worriedly. Then he looked up, out over camp. "I guess I have no choice but to 'believe' you. Marco told some weird story about you being the one getting all the Yeerks away…" I flinched, but Jake didn't notice and sighed before he continued talking. "…I can't believe that, no matter how much I trust Marco. But I'll trust you about the Drode. How about Crayak?"  
  
"Crayak isn't after me," I said. "He's after you, as usual."  
  
He glanced down at me again. "Yeah. I know. I'm just afraid he'll hurt you instead."  
  
I shook my head. "He won't," I assured him.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"They have a deal. Crayak and Ellimist made a pact. I won't get hurt."  
  
"How do you know this?" he asked, peering at me curiously.  
  
"Because I do. Can't tell you. I'm sorry, but… I can't."  
  
Jake stood there, staring into space, for a long time. Suddenly he shrugged, and said; "This isn't leading anywhere. And you're not making it any easier. See you later, Cass. Get some rest. I'll wake you when it's time to leave."  
  
Jake left, but I couldn't fall asleep again. I was still awake when it was time to leave, and once again we moved camp.  
  
  
  
"Marco," I called.  
  
He grinned, turned towards me, and bowed dramatically. "Yes, your highness?"  
  
I felt a bit uncomfortable at that. Not surprisingly. "Why did you do that?"  
  
"You got the Yeerks away, Cassie. You're formally the one who saved all our butts. I don't know how for the world, and I have a feeling I don't want to know, but I'm grateful."  
  
Rachel had been listening, and now she laughed. "Marco? You and grateful don't match."  
  
"Neither do you and inconspicuous," he replied.  
  
"Rachel, could you go away?" I asked.  
  
Rachel grinned. "What? Is this just something between you and Marco?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then I better go warn Jake," she said, still grinning, winking at me before she disappeared.  
  
Marco watched her leave and then turned to me. "What's this about?"  
  
"About you talking to Jake."  
  
Marco almost flinched. And bent his head down like a three year old about to be scolded. "It was important," he said. "If you can do that…" he looked up, peering at me as if I was some kind of goddess with who knows what type of powers "…you could stop the Yeerks. I saw it myself, Cassie. One moment those Hork-Bajir around Jake were Controllers, and the next they were… free. The whole group of them are free. That doesn't just happen."  
  
I shrugged. "Maybe it wasn't me. It can't have been me. It might have the Ellimist, Crayak, even Drode, but not me."  
  
"You don't fool me." Marco sighed. "You can say whatever you want, Cassie. I still think it was you. I know it was. I can feel it down to the marrow of my bones."  
  
I bit my lip. It was clear I wouldn't be able to convince him of anything else. It was also clear to me that, whatever I thought about it, I couldn't let people walk around knowing I could… 'work wonders', to use those words.  
  
"Are you going to confess, or are you going to deny it?" he asked.  
  
I looked down at my hands. I knew what I had to do. "No."  
  
His eyes narrowed. "So it was you."  
  
I clenched my hands, and unclenched them. Searched for the link to the other reality, and connected it to my fingertips.  
  
Then I nodded. "Yeah, it was me. And I'm sorry," I said. "For I can't let you know that." I reached out and placed a finger on his forehead.  
  
Using the link to the other reality, I pulled out the memories that were a danger to safety. My safety, his safety, the camp's safety.  
  
His eyelids closed, opened, and he looked at me. "What did you do?" he asked.  
  
"Nothing," I said, forcing a smile. "Do you remember what we were talking about?"  
  
He nodded. "Of course," he said. "We were talking about…" he frowned. "Something." His head leaned to the side, he rubbed his temple, and looked questioningly at me. "Something about you. I think. What did you do?!"  
  
I smiled, this time for real. "I covered up my tracks," I told him. "You know what you need to know. And nothing more."  
  
I left him standing there, looking generally confused. At what I had said as well as at the gaps in his mind. When I glanced over my shoulder, he was having a stern conversation with himself regarding his 'lousy memory'.  
  
At least that was fixed. No more worrying about Marco's tongue slipping.  
  
"GOOD ONE," a familiar voice said.  
  
I sat down against a tree and closed my eyes.  
  
Leave me alone, Crayak. I'm tired.  
  
"YES. MAYBE YOU ARE. BUT I DO HOPE YOU ARE READY FOR YOUR NEXT TEST."  
  
I don't want another test, I told him.  
  
He laughed. The sound gave me a headache. "SINCE I AM IN A GOOD MOOD, LITTLE ANAMOLY, I WILL WAIT. BUT BE READY."  
  
"Cassie?" Rachel asked, suddenly standing in front of me. "What did you talk to Marco about?"  
  
"Nothing," I replied, my voice clearly indicating that I didn't want to talk about it.  
  
Rachel peered at me. "Something's different about you these days, Cassie," she said. "It's like… you're not you any more. I mean, you're you, but not the same you as before. You've closed a part of yourself."  
  
I opened my eyes and looked up at her. "No. I have only opened a new one."  
  
"I don't like it," Rachel continued. "You don't talk any more. You just turn away, smiling that secretive smile of yours, and refuse to answer. What are you hiding?"  
  
I turned away, pulling my knees up against my chest and wrapping my arms around them. Leaning my chin against those knees, I said; "Nothing."  
  
Rachel glared down at me. "I don't get it. I'm your best friend. Talk to me. Talk to me, or…" she cut herself off, but by then the tone of her voice had made me turn my face towards her.  
  
"'Or' what?" I asked, in the same tone she'd used. "As in 'or else'? As in, a threat?! That would be typical of you, Rachel!"  
  
Rachel backed away as I flew to my feet.  
  
"Cassie, I know…"  
  
"Don't 'I know' me! You know nothing! Do you know what I know? Do you know that I'm sick of you?! Of this camp, my parents, Marco, and Jake, and you!! I'm sick of your questions! I wish… I wish you could just go drown yourself!"  
  
Then I knew. At the horrified look in Rachel's eyes. At the tone of my own voice. At the creeping presence pulling threads in the back of my mind.  
  
But mostly at the voice that, triumphantly, cried "DONE!"  
  
Rachel was gone.  
  
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  
Author's Note;  
  
I'll put up the next part as soon as I've typed it up. This time, I know what to write about, so it shouldn't take as long as to get this one up.   
But I also have The Time Matrix Chronicles to worry about, so we'll see...  
  
  



	4. Part 4

Sub-temporally Grounded  
  
  
**Part 4**  
  
  
  
I stared at the empty spot where Rachel had been. Then…  
  
"What have you done?!" I cried. "Crayak! Crayak, what did you do?"  
  
Crayak laughed. "MADE SURE YOUR WISH CAME TRUE, MY DEAR STUDENT."  
  
"What wish?"  
  
"YOU DO NOT KNOW? YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR. BECAUSE WITH YOUR… TALENT… IT JUST MIGHT COME TRUE."  
  
The thought took some time to grab hold. But when it did, I felt despair rising.  
  
"You mean she… went and drowned?"  
  
"NOT QUITE," Crayak said. "I'M NOT ALLOWED TO LET IT GO SO FAR. BUT LET'S SAY SHE'S UNDER WATER, AND CAN'T MORPH HER WAY OUT OF IT."  
  
"Still alive?"  
  
"YOU COULD CALL IT THAT. BUT, ANOMALY? THIS TIME, YOU ARE KEEPING OUT OF MY REALM. YOU HEAR ME? YOU NEED TO WORK IN YOUR OWN."  
  
With that, the presence of Crayak was gone. And I was left to save my friend as best I could.  
  
My first thought was to panic. Then I realized it wouldn't help, and pushed back hopelessness to some deep corner of my mind.  
  
My mind.  
  
My mind had turned more and more material… it was no longer just an abstract presence. It was who I was. Controlling it was what I did. Had to do.  
  
My body was less important. I could use my mind freely in "Crayak's realm" because there was no body there that distracted me.  
  
I needed to work in this reality now. Time to put mind over matter, to speak in simple words, although there is no simple explanation for any of this.  
  
I needed to find Rachel. Not with my eyes, ears, nose, or sense of touch, but with the senses of my mind.  
  
In a few moments I knew what I had to do. I closed out my worldly senses, and focused on those of my mind.  
  
And I thought about Rachel. Searched around for some trace of her.  
  
I found it not long after. A faint shimmer of her thoughts, not that far off to the east. She was scared… a strange feeling to associate with Rachel.  
  
But as soon as I had found where she was, I pulled a few strings in this reality and moved myself over to where she was.  
  
  
  
Cold. Dark. Wet.  
  
Those were my first sensations. I gasped for air and swallowed bitter water. My ears felt about to explode - I can't say for sure that they didn't - and my eyes stung as if someone had stuck needles into them.  
  
I stopped trying to breath, knowing that it wouldn't do any good. I was under water. Deep under water, from how dark it was and the pressure that was made well known to my ears.  
  
Rachel must be there, too. Somewhere. I needed to know where, so again I closed my worldly senses. And opened my mind.  
  
A presence of to my left. The direct swarm of emotions from a near-panicking mind.  
  
I kicked with my legs and pushed through the greasy, dark water. My lungs were burning by then. My lack of oxygen was making my muscles numb. I swam straight into her by that one kick. Which was lucky, because I wasn't sure how far I'd have been able to swim.  
  
She kicked at me, not seeing me and probably thinking I was some sort of creature - who knows what she might have mistaken me for?  
  
Before the lack of oxygen completely overwhelmed me, I grabbed hold of Rachel's struggling shape and kicked my legs to swim upwards. After a few moments she realized what I was trying to do and did her best to help. I kept a hold of her hand and we both swam for the weak light above us. All thoughts of 'cheating' were gone.  
  
Suddenly, something swam past my face. I jerked back in surprise, but kept swimming. Then, my arm. A small, slimy being stroked the skin on my arm. And another one - past my ear. And another. Another. Everywhere!  
  
Rachel had noticed them as well. We both kept swimming, desperate to reach the surface, and despite our aching muscles we sped up to get past the creatures.  
  
I could see now. We were nearing the air above - and about time, too - and I could see faint shadows around me. Although the water was as far from clear as you can get.  
  
Rachel was swimming about half a meter above. She's got a lot more stamina than me - while the lack of air was making me weaken very quickly, she somehow found strength enough to pull me upwards, and not the other way around.  
  
But then she let go of my hand with a jerk and grabbed frantically at her ear. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, air bubbling out, and her fingers dug at her ear as if she wanted to rip it out.  
  
It took me a few moments to take in what was happening.   
  
But when I did it was too late.  
  
I knew where we were. I knew where Crayak had left Rachel, knowing that I would see no choice but to follow. Where he had, very cunningly, tricked us both.  
  
The Yeerk pool.  
  
Right into the Yeerk pool itself.  
  
Rachel stopped grabbing at her ear, thrashed at my face with her heels so that I had to duck to avoid being hit, and started swimming towards the surface again. I followed, going slower because I was using only my legs, as my hands were covering my ears. Yeerks prodded at me from all directions. I nearly cried out, but if I'd have tried my lungs would have filled with pool sludge - and Yeerks. They were that close. They swarmed around me like bees on honey. Like sharks around blood. Pressing their bodies against my face, my neck, my arms, my legs and especially against my hands, trying to squeeze through between my fingers.  
  
Then, suddenly, air!  
  
Sweet, cold, wonderful air!  
  
I was above water and gasped for oxygen, filling my lungs to the brim with air.  
  
"ANIMORPH!" someone roared.  
  
It was Rachel. She flung herself at me, and pushed me down under the sludgy water. I struggled and kicked around me with hands and arms. The Yeerks began prodding at my ears again, but I couldn't clasp over them, couldn't cover them, I needed to get Rachel's hands of my head before I drowned, or before backup reached the pool and I'd be captured.  
  
As Rachel was. Rachel was infested.  
  
Yeerks nudged at my ears. One of them found the opening, and began crawling in, but I grabbed him and threw him away. He tumbled through the water and came at me again.  
  
"HAHAHA. WILL YOU NEVER LEARN, HUMAN? YOU ARE STILL THINKING LIKE AN ANIMORPH. DON'T. THINK LIKE WHAT YOU REALLY ARE: AN ANOMOLY."  
  
As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. Time to think like an anomaly. A freak. And that meant, first of all, calm down. I emptied my head, forced my limbs to relax. Built up the connection with the other reality, felt Crayak, who was there, tensing as I did so, preparing to intervene.  
  
Felt the Yeerks digging into my ears, but knew it didn't matter.  
  
Ha ha! a voice cried in my head. He hadn't taken complete control yet, but was about to. He was slow, but he would be able to seize control of my body - and my very extraordinary mind. Unless I stopped him.  
  
Get out, Yeerk, I said calmly.  
  
He prepared to answer, arrogant, cocky, completely convinced that he was in control. But by the time he took to prepare a reply, he wasn't in my head any longer. I'd moved him out, using the part of my mind I still controlled.  
  
And in the same way I grabbed Rachel's wrist. Felt for the golden line that was connected to her. Noticed the golden line entwined with it.  
  
First get out of the pool. Then get rid of the Yeerk. Don't forget to get rid of the Yeerk, Cassie, or you'll be worse than dead.  
  
Rachel kneed me in my face, but I was too absorbed in my task to notice.  
  
OPEN.  
  
The order made the world jerk in surprise. Things around me stopped, as if someone had slapped it. With a sledgehammer. Then the very roof of the pool area's cave shuddered, and a gap opened right above us. Opened towards the free sky. Nothing else moved. Not even time.  
  
I was still held down under water, but that was unimportant. My lungs had stopped screaming for air. The Yeerks had stopped prodding at my ears. The surface of the pool had stopped rippling, and the light no longer danced in beams under it.  
  
UP.  
  
I don't know if the world moved down or if Rachel and I moved up. I couldn't tell. But the next moment we were both above the surface of the pool. Far above it. Up in the sky; the nearest living creature being a pigeon, frozen in time and space, hanging in the middle of the sky as if on a string.  
  
CLOSE.  
  
The gap over the pool closed neatly, leaving no visible trace after it. But if you were Crayak, Ellimist, or the Drode, or even me, you'd have seen the rip in space-time. The fracture in the reality. No-one else would know.  
  
I floated through the atmosphere, back towards the hideout. No-one would see me, unless they had the same talent I had or unless I let them. Which I wouldn't do, of course.  
  
I landed - if that's the proper word, although it felt like I'd never even left the ground - near our camp. I sat Rachel down near a tree. From feeling her golden line, I had found the blockage that kept her from morphing. Removing it - after I got the Yeerk out, of course - would be a simple task after what I'd just done.  
  
What I'd just done.  
  
Well, Crayak, I thought. What do you think?  
  
"VERY… ORIGINAL." He laughed his cold, twisted laugh. But there was something different about his voice. Something in the tone… bitter? Disappointed? "VERY SIMPLE, BUT VERY ORIGINAL."  
  
I left Rachel where she was, after tying up her golden string in the way it is tangled when a person is knocked out - it would keep her unconscious for about quarter of an hour. I went to fetch the others.  
  
I told them I'd found Rachel walking around in the forest near camp, but when I saw her she'd attacked me. I'd morphed and knocked her out, and suspected she was a Controller.  
  
They believed me. Why wouldn't they?  
  
Rachel herself would remember nothing. I'd seen to that, indirectly, when I'd "altered" reality like I had - a normal person can remember nothing of such things unless helped to remember because… I don't know. Something to do with the basic buildings of a mind, and how they cannot be disrupted, I think, but I don't know. I just knew that's how it was.  
  
The Yeerk would remember nothing either, of course, but he wouldn't agree to my story. Who cared? He'd be dead after three days, or quicker if I wanted him to, and none of my friends would care what he said before then.  
  
I didn't want to dig too much in Rachel's memories. This was easier than removing the Yeerk and parts of her mind. She'd remember the Yeerk getting into her head, being in the pool, and she'd remember waking up in the forest… and who knows what she might have "forgotten" before or between that? Who knows what the Yeerk might have kept secret from her?  
  
It was the simplest way. And simple is good.  
  
I had enough complications already.  
  
  
  
So, directly after moving camp again as far as we could - one of us had been infested, after all - we locked Rachel up. I kept her from morphing by keeping her morphing ability blocked. And after three days she was back to normal.  
  
Confused and scared, but back to normal. I didn't know exactly what she remembered, and I preferred not to know. Simple is better.  
  
And, when the Yeerk died, I undid the knot on Rachel's golden line to allow her to morph again.  
  
But there was one problem. One thing I'd forgotten.  
  
"What happened, Cassie?" Rachel said to me. "I know something happened. I don't remember what was said, exactly, but you were mad at me, yelling something about drowning, and then I was in the Yeerk pool. THE BOTTOM of the Yeerk pool."  
  
She glared at me, hands on her hips. "And something tells me you've got something to do with it."  
  
"What makes you think that?" I asked wearily.  
  
"First of all, you were there with me. I know that. Secondly, surprise surprise, you were the one to find me in the woods. Except, you probably didn't 'find' me like that. If I'd attacked you, especially as a Controller, you'd have been dead. Well? Guilty or not?"  
  
I stared at the ground. "I can't answer that, Rachel."  
  
"WHY! NOT?"  
  
I chose the easy way out again. I turned and walked away, like a common coward, letting her yell after me. She was upset. She'd been infested; of course she was upset. She was angry. She wanted to know how it had happened; I couldn't blame her. She actually had a right to know.  
  
But I couldn't tell her my secret.  
  
  
  
I went flying. Got back later than usual. I flew in, landed in demorphed as the others were eating. Only my parents looked up and said hi. The others kept their eyes averted in a very obvious way.  
  
Jake glanced at me, briefly, but sighed and shook his head.  
  
I suddenly found that I wasn't very hungry. I walked away, but I had only gone a few steps when felt a hand on my shoulder.  
  
"Cassie, I'm sorry," Rachel said lowly. "I know it wasn't your fault. You wouldn't do that. Sit down. Eat."  
  
I pulled free. "Maybe it was my fault," I muttered, and increased the length of my steps as I kept walking.  
  
One step. Two. Three.  
  
And without warning my head began spinning. My mind went cold as a familiar presence grabbed hold and pulled.  
  
I stumbled a step to the side, into a tree, and grabbed onto the bark for support when my knees buckled.  
  
Let go, Crayak, I begged silently.  
  
"NO."  
  
I dug my nails into the bark. Firmed my thoughts, focused, and pulled back my mind into my body. Crayak gave another sharp tug.  
  
But I was in control again. My mind was nearly back in it's place. Enough to know that, from having been ignored, I was the center of attention.  
  
"Not again," my mom said as she removed my grip on the tree and sat me down gently on the ground. Her face was worried. "Please, not again."  
  
I could have said the same thing. But I was busy trying to hold my thoughts in place.  
  
"DO AS I TELL YOU," Crayak ordered. "DO AS I TELL YOU OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES."  
  
He took a new hold, the cold cruelness almost breaking my thoughts down to despair. I struck out in panic, wriggled, and… suddenly my mind was free again.  
  
Crayak touched the outer borders that suddenly stood guarding my thoughts, my consciousness. "VERY WELL," he grunted. "THE CONSEQUENCES."  
  
He ripped all my defensive walls apart, reached in, and then there was a sudden unbelievable pain in my mind, my head, my entire body and my very soul, that made me cry out.  
  
I've never heard anything like it. It wasn't human. Or animal. It sounded like it came from everywhere, from everything, as if everything cried out with me, shared my pain, shared my terror. It simply could not have come from me. Everything stopped. Paused, shivering. Time itself shuddered, clouds fled and evaporated, the sun flickered and for just that moment grew dark. No; no living being can sound like that. The three dimensions that humans exist in tumbled, the world twisted, shadows of space itself formed and disappeared, and when the screaming stopped everything returned to normal, the dimensions carefully creeping out of their hiding places.  
  
And I burst away, free from my body, from Crayak's hold, free… free into that other reality, the only place I could go.  
  
Free.  
  
As free as anyone could ever be.  
  
I was free from my golden line.  
  
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  
Author's Note;  
  
Hehehe. The Cliffhanger Queen strikes again.  
  
I don't know who first called me that, but it does have a certain ring to it...  
  
I won't say "next part soon", cause it probably won't be soon. I'll just promsie that it WILL be put up. Some time. Summer's vacation is starting now, so... maybe soon. And maybe not.  



	5. Part 5

Sub-temporally Grounded  
  
  
**Part 5**  
  
  
  
* * *  
I stared down at the golden line I once had belonged to. Stared, helpless, as it began fading, curling into itself, twisting, the golden glow diminishing and about to disappear completely.  
  
I waited in terror, every part of my existence shivering, ultra focused to feel any change, any start in my own death.  
  
Although 'death' was the wrong word. I had lost all connection with my body, my human, living, breathing, existing physically in three dimensions form. I was far from alive. I was as dead as anyone could ever be.  
  
I knew that well. My body was an empty shell, already growing cold, already limp and powerless. I could see it through the other lines. I touched my mother's line, only to find her weeping, crying, clutching the more than dead form that once had been me. My dad was standing next to her, staring emptily at something only he could see, hands shaking. I looked for Jake…  
  
But pulled away before I saw him, not wanting to see.  
  
I waited for my own annihilation. Every moment I regarded as my last. Every thought was treated as if I would never think another.  
  
The last of my golden line vanished, being pulled away into darkness.  
  
I waited.  
  
But nothing happened.  
  
Except this: Where the six lines of the Animorphs had flown, strengthened by each other, shining with the power to crush any empire, shining with force to overcome any difficulty, one had curled away and died.   
  
My line had curled away and died.  
  
There were four left.  
  
I looked again.  
  
Yes. Only four.  
  
However I looked, I only saw four.  
  
Marco.  
  
Tobias.  
  
Rachel.  
  
And Ax.  
  
Where was Jake?  
  
Of course, I knew. With bitterness and grimness, it was as clear as crystal before me.  
  
I tugged at the by then familiar strand of space-time to give myself a voice. I took the shape of my just as familiar wolf morph, teeth already bared, head lowered, and my fur bristling with fury.  
  
"CRAYAK!" I roared.  
  
The sound that met me was very much the feeling of a giggle. A giddy, jiggling giggle.  
  
"What have you done?!" I demanded. "What have you done to Jake?"  
  
The giggle became full-out laughter, and Crayak took his red-eyed form in front of me. I screamed at him, but found myself forced to wait until he had stopped laughing. He looked at me with an evil twinkle in his one red eye.  
  
"I did nothing," he said.  
  
"DON'T YOU DARE LIE TO ME!" I snarled.  
  
"I am really proud of you," he said, the feeling of an evil grin making the wolf mind in me want to pull back, whining. "Also, I am grateful, although I doubt you will believe me on that. You solved my biggest problem, anomaly. You removed Jake for me."  
  
"WHAT?!" I shrieked.  
  
"Have you not figured it out yet?" he said, giggling again. "Poor anomaly. I have to explain everything to you, don't I? Let me show you."  
* * *  
  
  
I saw us. In the past, not that long ago. The six of us, all together. We were in the woods, and I remembered that we were trying to make a distraction from where we had hidden the free Hork-Bajir in the hills. There were us, a band of Taxxons, and two or three Blue-Banded Hork-Bajir-Controllers.  
  
We were winning. Which was no surprise, since after Ax, Marco and Rachel took care of the Hork-Bajir, there were only Taxxons left. Taxxons are disgusting, revolting, but they're easy to kill. But this time, they had dracons.  
  
I saw as the wolf that was me snatch her head around and again I saw that fateful dracon being aimed. I knew I had heard Jake's voice in my head.  
  
Concentrate, he had snapped from where he stood, close to the side behind me. I could still hear his voice. You get one chance. Attack on three. One… two… three!  
  
I didn't doubt. I never doubted Jake. I flew up towards the Taxxon. His careful aim was wasted! I smacked the dracon to the side with my shoulder and landed on the Taxxon's ugly face, teeth and claws first. But…  
  
Tseeew.  
  
The dracon, now smacked a bit to the side, hit Jake straight in the face.  
  
  
* * *  
I had let go of my wolf shape. Somehow, without thinking about it, I had taken my own form. A short girl with short hair, standing on nothing, floating in nowhere, eyes wide with fear, disbelief, face streaked with tears as well as anger, hate and sadness.  
  
"That's… that's… that's not what happened," I managed in a weak voice.  
  
"Did you ever see what that dracon hit, Cassie?" Crayak demanded.  
  
"They said… it ALMOST hit Jake…" I recalled. "But he was unhurt."  
  
"But he was not really there," Crayak corrected. "Remember when you first came here. The golden line you saw dying. Jake's line. At the same time as that dracon had been fired. Then you woke up, and you immediately knew that something was wrong. I spoke to you for the first time; I told you that you were right. You had the correct conclusion; they were not really there. They were faded. And Jake…"  
  
"Was the most faded of all." I whimpered, a whimper that was only a sense, a feeling - that Crayak interpreted as a weakness, and he swelled up with hostility, trying to use my emotional distress as far as he could. "No…"  
  
"Do you know why?" Crayak snapped.  
  
"It… can't…" I shook my head violently. But I knew. I understood, then.  
  
Crayak, enjoying all of it, told me anyway. "Because of you. Jake was part of our deal. The Ellimist gave him up, and I agreed to tutor you. I never do things for free, as you know. But when the first demand was about to be fulfilled, you intervened. You're a natural, you little freak. You came over here, and without even knowing it you tied Jake's line to your own, keeping his alive." Crayak smiled cruelly. "But now, you, Cassie the Irregularity… you are dying as well. And as far as those dimensions you lived in are concerned, you are already dead. And thereby, so is Jake."  
  
"They were all faded," another voice said to me. "Because you forced them into a new timeline. A timeline where Jake was alive. You forced the dimensions to adapt after your will. You did it without complications. Without help. And you were not even tutored yet."  
  
Ellimist.  
  
I was not happy to see him. I melted back to wolf, pulled back and curled my upper lip; at both of them. The Ellimist smiled you sadly and moved closer. I moved back again, keeping the distance between us at a standard.  
  
"I am sorry, Cassie," the Ellimist said. "For your loss. But… sometime, in the future, if such a notion can exist about a reality such as ours… if you exist that long… you will understand. And accept."  
  
But I didn't want to understand. I didn't want to accept. I didn't want to be in this reality. Not now, not in the future, not in the past.  
  
I wanted to be back home. With my family. With Jake. I wanted Jake alive, I wanted everything back to normal. I wanted… I knew exactly what I wanted. And it was not this.  
  
But I also knew I would never again be able to have any of what I wanted. Because if my golden line was gone, so would I be. I was still puzzled about why I still existed at all. But I would use the time as well as possible.  
  
I turned to Crayak again. "You. You evil, stinking collection of filthy space-time entrails. How much did you intervene?"  
  
"I only made sure you pushed that dracon just far enough."  
  
"He has been trying to make you let go of Jake's line since you took hold," the Ellimist added lowly. "Cassie, your line was strong enough to keep the new timeline strong until it had stabilized, stopped being faded. As well as to keep both you and Jake alive. Your line, Cassie, still is strong enough. What Crayak has refrained from telling you, is…"  
  
"Do not speak another word," Crayak warned in a growl.  
  
The Ellimist smiled. "See? Crayak does not want you to know."  
  
"What?" I demanded. I could feel anger growing. And anger is very powerful.  
  
"You old cheat!" Crayak shrieked. "You cannot tell her!"  
  
"Crayak did that on purpose," Ellimist continued. "He was not allowed to interfere with you line. So, instead, he interfered with you. He… slapped, to put it in easy terms… slapped you, knowing that you as well as anyone else would do anything to get away. Knowing that would mean you came here. Knowing it would mean you came here in a way that was too brutal for the weakened connection to your line."  
  
"Ellimist, say no more! You cannot! You are breaking our deal! YOU ARE BREAKING THE RULES OF THE GAME ITSELF!"  
  
The Ellimist ignored him. "He knew you would part with your line. And that Jake's line would collapse as the last of yours did."  
  
"You did that?" I said to Crayak, barely concealing my rage.  
  
I wanted to hurt someone.  
  
I had never had that feeling before.  
  
But these two had ruined my life. Even ended it. Taken me away from everyone and everything I had even held dear or loved. Snatched me to this horrible place of nowhere, this thing of nothing, this time of nowhen. And trapped me here for the last moments before I would cease. Cease to be, cease to exist. And then they told me that Jake was dead. Because of all that.  
  
Because of their game.  
  
Because of them.  
  
Crayak sneered at the Ellimist. "You broke the rules. And I always believed I would be the one to do so. The Game is shattered, old cheat, the pieces broken and roaming free. The Rules no longer hold any of us. And now I will do what I should have done a long time ago."  
  
"What, Crayak?" the Ellimist asked calmly.  
  
"I shall destroy you. And, when I have done that, I shall destroy your pet human freak."  
  
I wasn't afraid. I was beyond feeling fear. Fear didn't exist. I was consumed in rage, hate, and growing power. I could feel it grow. I could feel it seep into me, from all around me. And however much it was, I knew I could hold much, much more. Space-time shivered around me.  
  
"Why not start with her?" the Ellimist laughed. "There is another thing I need to inform you about, Cassie. Crayak was planning to… what do you humans call it? Kill two birds with one stone. He not only wanted Jake dead, he wanted you destroyed as well. He is frightened of you."  
  
"I FEAR NO-ONE!" Crayak roared.  
  
"He is afraid of what you might become," the Ellimist said quickly. "he saw how strong you were in your own dimensions, and feared the strength of your gift unleashed here, freed from your worldly existence, unhindered by being held back by your body. As it now is."  
  
Crayak's darkness threw itself over the Ellimist, who shook himself free and put up a barrier of time-area around him. Time in seven dimensions curled to form a pattern, shimmering with colour and light and flashing with the silver glow of time, all bending into an unbreakable sphere, protecting him against Crayak's cold attacks. The lines of suns blackened and faded away to nothing around them with the force that suddenly was set free.  
  
Crayak roared and set up a similar sphere around himself as the Ellimist smiled a horrible smile and unleashed his own attack.  
  
As Crayak's sphere made it shudder and disappear, the universe shook around us. Far away but still close by, the lines of a few hundred galaxies shuddered and began curling away. I held out my hand and stopped them; let them continue their lives for yet another few moments.  
  
Those two, still attacking each other relentlessly, trying to budge the other's spheres of time, trying to break through, were going to destroy the entire universe. The dimensions themselves.  
  
But the Ellimist spoke to me again. "One more thing. It is not too late. You can still save Jake. You can still make sure he lives. Your line is not done disappearing, that is why you still exist at all. Jake's line is intact enough to be saved, like the ones of the galaxies. The remaining fragment of your line still protects it. Use that fragment, Cassie. Otherwise, you will both be gone."  
  
"Where is it?!" I cried. I searched around, with all my senses, finding nothing. I felt the weaves of the reality itself, scanned golden line after golden line, and found nothing.  
  
"Crayak has it," the Ellimist said.  
  
And I knew he was telling the truth. All the dying lines I had seen had curled and twisted around themselves and faded. Mine curled and twisted and finally been 'pulled into darkness'.  
  
And Crayak was, as he had shown numerous times, the absolute and final darkest of darknesses.  
  
"Crayak is trying to break it down. Your line breaks slowly, because of what you are, and Crayak is trying to speed it up. If he succeeds, you will end."  
  
"And so will Jake!" Crayak laughed triumphantly, protected in his shimmering sphere of time. "Giving her impossible chores, Ellimist? You know what she has to do if she wants her fragment back."  
  
"Yes," the Ellimist replied simply. Both of them had stopped their attacks, watching me, one with trust and hope, the other with hate and… concern? "Cassie. Crayak has your line. Your existence, and Jake's life, and in that also the future of your people, your planet, the ones you love on its surface, and a great part of the remaining galaxy. The remaining universe. Take it back. Take it all back, save it all. You know what to do."  
  
The power in me welled up, bubbling, steaming, mixing with rage just as forceful and determination just as great. Seething, storming, and still growing and swelling with every moment. I felt it, savored in it, and hurriedly gathered more.  
  
Yes.  
  
I knew what I had to do.  
  
I bared my wolf teeth. Just an empty threat, a meaningless symbol in that dimension, that reality, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered. I had nothing left to lose.  
  
If Rachel had seen me, she would have been proud of me. If she even had recognized me.  
  
Because yes, I knew what. And how.  
  
Backed by all my fury, all my determination, all my growing power, and without another hesitation, I attacked Crayak.  
* * *  
  
  
  
  
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Author's Note;  
  
Next part will most likely be the last part. Review this one and I'll put it up as soon as it's written.  
  
  
  



	6. Part 6

Sub-temporally Grounded  
  
  
**Part 6**  
  
  
  
* * *  
Silence.  
  
I remember almost nothing of the battle itself. Maybe that is for the best.  
  
I remember attacking, pulling back, and attacking again, constantly trying to shield myself against Crayak's darkness as I struck. It went on and on. Maybe only minutes passed on Earth, but maybe it was hours, maybe days, maybe weeks, months. It was like nothing I'd ever been through on Earth. This was more intense; not a battle of who has the strongest jaws, or the fastest blades. This was a battle in dimensions, in time, in mind and soul. A test of willpower as well as strength.  
  
Galaxies faded around us. Suns exploded, swallowing planets and civilizations and moons and comets even other suns in their flames. Black holes curled together and disappeared. Nothing remained. Not a single asteroid, not a single speck of space-dust, survived.  
  
Can anyone understand the demolition? Two beings that fight each other, and the mere force of their attacks obliterate entire solar systems struck by the shockwaves. Can anyone understand the force of the attack itself, when the universe trembles around it and galaxies are ripped apart down to the very molecules, like card houses in a thunderstorm?  
  
I am actually glad I repressed most of it. At that time, my mind was still the mind of a human girl. And that destruction… too vast for me to grasp. Too vast for me to understand, too much for me to mentally overcome having caused it.  
  
What I remember clearly, though, is the immense silence, the salient emptiness, the big hole left in space, after it was over. It felt as if the universe itself was mourning the loss of Crayak; and at the same time a feeling of reprieve was everywhere. Life - what remained of it - drew a huge sigh of relief when Crayak no longer could weaken, cripple and destroy it.  
  
I don't know what happened to Crayak. I honestly don't want to know. I have a feeling it wasn't very pleasant. But I knew he was gone, and wouldn't return. He wouldn't trouble me or anyone else - ever again. I would have said he was dead, but the term wasn't really correct.  
  
I, myself, was alive. Or as much alive as I ever would be, considering that I was completely dead. The proper term would probably just be this: I existed.  
  
I just existed. In my own way. In a way I cannot even begin to understand.  
  
Jake, though, was alive. Properly alive. I'd seen to that. I had made sure his line was strong enough to handle on its own again, and gently placed it back in its place, with the lines of the other remaining Animorphs.  
  
Somehow, that entire part of the universe was left unharmed after our battle. While huge parts were gone, millions of civilizations wiped out… humans, the Andalites, the Hork-Bajir, the Taxxons, and even the Yeerks still lived on, unaltered. I knew myself well enough to know that I wouldn't be interfering in their battle; they were on their own. My interference could hurt as much as it helped.  
  
I had pulled back to my familiar wolf shape, trying to rest. I didn't know pain; I didn't have a body to feel pain. But I knew I was hurt. I knew I was weakened. If someone or something had attacked me right then, struck with all their force, I would have shattered like a delicate porcelain vase dropped down a set of stairs.   
  
I rested, waited, and thought. Dreamed.  
  
I wished so much that I could draw a deep breath. I wished for lungs to fill with air. I wished for hands to close into fists. I wished for jaws to clench. I wished for arms, so I could clasp them around myself to try to ease my sobbing - I wished to be able to sob. I wished for a heart, so I could try to calm its beating. I wished for eyes, so I could close them to keep the tears in. I wished for tears.  
  
But most of all I wished for a body, so that I could feel the pain.  
  
I wanted to be alive. Fully alive. But I knew I couldn't have that. I could have anything in the universe, I could control anything and everything by a simple thought, I could curve space itself, I could stop time, but I could never again have that.  
  
That was gone forever.  
  
  
  
"I told you I needed to defeat Crayak," the Ellimist said quietly. "If I had told you what I had in mind…"  
  
"I would have backed out," I said. "I know. And you knew, too."  
  
"I did."  
  
I sighed, space-time shuddering around me. "Let me be, Ellimist. Let me be."  
  
He pulled back, and I focused briefly, using a small part of my will and strength to appear on Earth.  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
She appeared as who she had been. She had gathered her friends, the ones called the Animorphs, to say goodbye.  
  
She came out from behind a tree wearing a wavering smile.  
  
Jake's face went a deadly pale. Then anger flushed over it and his fists clenched.  
  
"Crayak?" Rachel's eyes were narrowed.  
  
The image of Cassie shook her head.  
  
"Don't take that form," Jake snarled. "Don't you…"  
  
"Jake, it's me," Cassie said. "Not Crayak."  
  
He shook his head wildly, refusing to look at her. "Not that shape," he said, half begging, half growling. "Any shape but that."  
  
She tried again, her voice soft. "Jake. It's Cassie."  
  
"Cassie's dead!" he shrieked, as Marco put a hand on his arm. To calm him, or comfort him. "I saw it myself, she's dead! Oh… oh, god…" he wobbled, knees giving up their task of holding him up, and would have fallen if Marco hadn't caught him. "Dead," he sobbed. "Dead…"  
  
This is not an amusing game, Crayak, Ax spat. His tail was cocked, as if that would ever have helped against anything as powerful as what they thought was Crayak. Prince Jake told us about what you did to Cassie.  
  
Yeah, Tobias said, his hawk glare as sharp as ever. Leave us alone. Leave us to mourn without your pointless games.  
  
"Go away, Crayak," Rachel said, dismissingly waving a hand and looking down at Jake with pity. Sympathy.  
  
Cassie shook her head. "You don't get it," she said. "It's not Crayak. It's really me. It's… Cassie. I know I'm dead, but…"  
  
Jake flew to his feet, shaking off Marco and glaring at Cassie with eyes burning with hate. "Don't try to fool us! You're not Cassie!"  
  
The wavering smile on her face had been replaced by sadness and fear. Fear of not being recognized; fear of being rejected. "Jake, please…"  
  
"Go away!" Rachel snapped.  
  
"I can prove it," she offered.  
  
How? Tobias asked. There's nothing you can do. Nothing that'll convince us.  
  
"I can morph," she offered, grabbing the first thing that came to mind, focusing - as she had so many times before - on the wolf. Becoming the wolf. See?  
  
Five sets of main eyes and one set of stalk-eyes stared at her.  
  
What? she wondered.  
  
"That wasn't morphing," Marco said, a taunting grin spreading across his face. "Fooled yourself, you red-eyed pack of garbage. You didn't morph the wolf. You just… became the wolf. Yeah, we're convinced alright. We're convinced we were right about you."  
  
She melted back to the form of the girl she had been. They were right; it was not even similar to morphing.  
  
"Where did you hide the Drode's ugly prune face?" Rachel asked.  
  
Show us another trick, Crayak, Tobias said. Show us how to kick your butt.  
  
"Please…" she begged, tears seeping up into her eyes that were not really eyes.  
  
Don't expect any sympathy from us, Crayak, Ax said coldly. You deserve none after what you've done.  
  
She looked from one to the other, and back again. "Crayak's gone," she said. "I'm… I'm an anomaly, and… Crayak's gone. He'll never trouble you again."  
  
Rachel huffed, arms crossed. "You're still saying you're not him? Try something new."  
  
"You really think we wouldn't recognize Cassie if we saw her?" Marco snapped. "You aren't worthy of even thinking about impersonating her. She hasn't done anything to deserve that. She's too innocent to deserve you coming and pretending to be her. Let her rest in peace!"  
  
"But… I am Cassie…"  
  
"You're not Cassie!" Jake leaped forwards, face mad, eyes red, and hands outstretched like claws, grabbing wildly for her throat.  
  
With a sob she disappeared before those hands reached her.  
  
Jake landed on the ground, face and arms first, and slid forwards over the dirt from the momentum, scraping knees and elbows and face and everything in between. His fingers grabbed at the ground and he threw his head back and screamed; "NOT CASSIE!"  
  
  
  
* * *  
The words haunted me; "Not Cassie!"  
  
I returned to my new shape - or more properly my lack of such - and again wished I was able to weep. Knowing that was impossible, I wished I had a heart to cry in. Because cry I did; in my mind. Which was all that was left of me.  
  
"Not Cassie!"  
  
The words still tear at me when I remember them. But they made me strong; they built me up to what I later became.  
  
I never looked for the Animorphs again. By the time I again opened my mind to the universe, there was no trace of Yeerks, Andalites or humans. New species had sprung up in their places, new wars were being fought, lost, and won.  
  
I didn't bother to find out what had happened in the final phases of my own war. Or who won. It mattered so much, I hoped that the Animorphs and Earth and Andalites had won, but finding out - whatever had happened - would tear up wounds that I preferred to forget. Especially if my friends had lost their battle, because I was sure I could find some way to blame myself for it.  
  
And if they had lost, I would be tempted to interfere. And mixing with time might mess things up in ways I couldn't foresee, or prevent. I needed to become a lot wiser before I began tampering with time and space and events.  
  
I was at least wise enough to realise that.  
  
Sometime later, I have no idea how long had passed, the Ellimist decided to announce what he had been holding in. He had been nearby all the time, but had left me alone - as I had asked him to.  
  
"Crayak once told you that you needed to take over," he said softly. He was keeping a respectful distance, very careful as not to seem hostile. If I didn't know better, I would have thought he was afraid. But no; the Ellimist wasn't afraid. Maybe cautious, but not afraid.  
  
I knew. Because I wasn't afraid. Simply couldn't be. I could, but… it wasn't the type of panicking fear you feel when you are alive. It is a cold, calculating fear, perhaps like the fear a cat or tiger would feel. A cocky, confident, but-perhaps-I-better-be-careful feeling. More of a warning tingle in the back of your neck than real fear.  
  
He continued. "I will leave now."  
  
"I know," I replied.  
  
A flicker of a smile. "Of course you do."  
  
"Where will you go?" I asked, more to be nice than out of any real interest. I was back as wolf, just to have some sort of comfort in having a shape. Or a shadow of one. Wolves were another creature that was gone; just as humans.  
  
"Who knows?" smiled the bluish old man who was not really an old man at all. He held that guise when he spoke to me, maybe to make me feel better. "Another place. Another galaxy. Another reality."  
  
I nodded my wolf head. "This place is mine now."  
  
"Yes. It is."  
  
"It belongs to me. I guard it; I keep it safe. I control it."  
  
"Yes. You do."  
  
"Go away, Ellimist, because this is where our paths part. This is where you leave. This is where I begin my…" a short hesitation; saying the word would be accepting what had happened, what was happening, and what would happen.  
  
But there was no use in denying it any further. There was no use holding back what was inevitable; the tide would reach the shore, whether I tried to stop it or not. "This is where I begin my new existence."  
  
He nodded, again, this time fading away from his guise and back to the curves of space-time and twists of dimensions and time that he really was. Very similar to those that I really was.  
  
"Yes," he agreed. "It is time, Anomaly."  
  
And that's when the being who once, during what seemed like and very well could be a millennia ago, had been a human girl called Cassie, finally realized who she really was.  
  
And not long, or many millennia, after that the most advanced species in her part of the universe shuddered with superstition and wonder and even fear when they heard someone mention the mysterious, all-powerful Anomalies.  
* * *  
  
  
  
  
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Author's Note;  
  
Finished. *sigh*. Sad ending, huh? Lonely. Poor Cassie.  
  
*Oh, just great. Great. Now I'm feeling sorry for my characters. I'm getting sentimental. I can't get sentimental! I still got a few nasty cliffhanger/hehe-they're-in-trouble-again idead up my sleeve!*  
  
Just review this one, okay? You've read the story, I put if up for you to read, just this small favour in return... how hard can it be? Tell me how the ending could have been happy. Or happier, at least.  
  
  
  
  
  



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